Ultraviolet (UV) light has been used for about a century for disinfection of objects and drinking water. UV light of the appropriate wavelength breaks down organic and inorganic chemicals as well as destroys the DNA of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Using UV light for disinfection is advantageous since it is environmentally friendly, does not require addition of chemicals for disinfection such as in the case of chlorination, and it may be used in small/portable devices at point of use as well as large scale water treatment plants.
Since UV radiation, in particular UV-C (also referred to as “deep UV”, or DUV) radiation can be harmful to humans, it is important to shield and/or isolate a UV light source to protect a user from being irradiated. One route to avoid such unwanted exposure is to use a reflective material for the purpose of isolating the UV light source or for e.g. directing UV-light towards a predetermined direction. It has been proposed to disperse a reflective particle into a matrix, which is highly light transmissive, to create the light reflective material. Aluminum is a commonly used reflective particle within the matrix. Aluminum reflects UV-light to about 85%.
JP2010248484 proposes a UV reflective composition comprising a silicon resin matrix and an inorganic filler containing fine powder of alumina or boron nitride dispersed in the silicon resin matrix. Its aim is to improve the UV-reflection efficiency of the composition.
However, there is still a need in the art for providing a material with an improved ability to efficiently reflect light and especially UV light.